Sunday, March 31, 2013

Today was my long run day and I was really looking forward to it. I had learned that one of the sites that I follow, RunChat, put up a scavenger hunt list to participate in. Here's the list:

I found 6 items on the list. I could probably gotten more if I wasn't sick and just wanted to call it a day.

I found

1) A bridge

2) A giant hill I'm going to run up. It may not look too bad, but I had to go up it a bit to get the whole thing...and please note the billboard at the top. It's for McDonald's. Makes me want to puke every time I come huffing and puffing to the top.

3) Christmas decoration still up. I was surprised I didn't find more. After all, we've been snow covered for a while. Decorations up in March really isn't that strange around here.

4) Water. I live by the Root River and run by it frequently. I should have waited until we got to the lake. The water was very pretty out there today.

5) Trail Marker. I think we are fortunate to live by these paths. I love running them!

6) A scene from my favorite place to run. The beginning of the Root River Path.

The scavenger hunt was a really fun idea! I would love to do one of these more often, especially in warmer weather!

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

I have never heard of this product before. I have heard of Witch Hazel and face wipes, but never Dickinson's daily facial towelettes. I was completely unfamiliar with the product.

I was worried about trying it, because I have very sensitive skin and pretty much everything makes me either break out or causes irritation. The product claims that it is gentle, non-drying, and soothes the skin.

I decided to try it after my workouts. I am a heavy, salty, sweater and could use a face cleanser. I threw some in my gym bag to keep on hand.

The wipes themselves are quite large and are kept very moist in their packet. The package says they ar 5"x7" and you get 20 towelettes in each box.

I have been using them for the past two weeks and have had very positive results. I've had no irritation, breakouts, or drying whatsoever, and I think it's actually helped my skin. My face feels clean afterwards and there's no feeling of residue left. There's only about 4 ingredients and it is NOT tested on animals, which is a HUGE plus for me and any other animal lover!

So, overall I really liked this product and was so glad I had the opportunity to try it out. It is something I will buy when I'm out of this box. They are inexpensive. They retail for about $6 or less, which is only $0.30 per wipe.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Not quite, but almost. I had a speed workout on tap today. I woke up at 7 am without my alarm on my day off. I was like, "Great! I am up and I can go to spin class and then do my speed workout..." I sat on the couch sipping my cup of coffee and watched T.V. All. Day. Finally, I got up, got dressed, told Kevin I was blowing this popsicle stand, and left.

The gym was pretty empty. When I go after work at the same time on a Monday, I can barely get a treadmill. Today, I had my pick. I went on one without a T.V. There's nothing worse than a T.V. an inch from your face when you are struggling to breath and not throw up. I would rather watch people walk by and stare up at the giant T.V.s that are upfront.

My plan says to run at a 5k pace. I have to say, I never saw that part about the 5k pace before. I thought I was just supposed to run as fast as possible. I figured out that my GOAL 5k pace is a 9:40, so I would run at a 6.4 mph. I set the treadmill to interval. I use to change it by hand, but it's hard to lower the speed when I am almost falling off the treadmill from going to fast.

So, the plan was to run .25 miles at 6.4, and walk for .1 at 3.5 until I was done. The first three times weren't bad. I told myself that maybe I should quit, because what else would I tell myself on a treadmill? The 4th sprint was ok, but I was starting to feel it. The 5th time I really wanted to quit, but pushed myself through. The 6th and 7th time I sped up a bit so it would be over faster. I think that is why I felt like I was going to throw up at the end of each one.

Now it's over and I did it. That's the great thing about work outs. They may suck, but in the end...you're at the end.

Exhausted after my work out.

Afterwards, I finally got over to see Melissa and her posse. I've been fighting a cold and was scared about infecting her delicate little newborns.

I couldn't believe this crazy chair she had. It looked like a hovercraft, I swear.

I didn't leave until after ten. She has no clocks in that house. I thought it was only about 9! I don't remember the last time I was out that late when I didn't have to work.

Here's the second part of my review of products I received for free from Influenster.

I received:Vaseline Spray & Go Moisturizer Total MoistureNectresse Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel Oil Controlling TowelettesColate Optic White Regimen: Toothpaste, toothbrush, and mouthwashbelVita Breakfast BiscuitsI reviewed Nectressehere. I also reviewed the belVita breakfast biscuits. I even bought a box of these, I liked them so much. They are seriously delicious!!I was sent the Vaseline Spray and Go Moisturizer Total Moisture. It comes in three different types: the Total Moisture, Aloe Fresh, and Cocoa Radiant.

I was sent the Total Moisture (the yellow one). This had excellent timing since I started swimming again. My skin gets horribly dry afterwards from the chlorine. This line of lotions is supposed to be, "quick,convenient, continuous-spray lotions. They moisturize deeply and absorb in seconds to leave skin instantly soft, not greasy or sticky."

I've been using the lotion after my normal shower and after the shower when I'm finished swimming. I usually use a lotion from Bath and Body works. It works initially, but my skin is still dry and I have to reapply a couple of times throughout the day.

This lotion is a spray. It is supposed to be a convenience, but it does spray all over in addition to getting on your skin. Think, spraying a sunscreen. It goes where it's supposed to, but there's additional floating around getting on the furniture or clothes. The lotion didn't magically absorb. I did have to rub it in just like any other lotion.

It did leave my skin felling soft, not greasy or sticky. I was happy with how my skin felt. My skin stayed moisturized throughout the day and I didn't get the usual itchy legs at night when I usually have to reapply more lotion to soothe the dryness.

Overall, I really like it. They definitely over promise on the convenience, but it kept my skin moist through all of the things I put it through. If I bought it again, I would try the Aloe one out. The Total Moisture scent was just a basic lotion scent and I would like something a bit more refreshing.

Monday, March 25, 2013

So, here's how the last two weeks have gone. The beginning of the week is here. I pack my gym bag the night before, get my lunch ready, all geared up to start a new week. After work, I drive to the gym, park, sit there a minute, then leave and drive home. Pretty pathetic.

Well, today all of that changed! I not only went to the gym, I went inside and worked out! I must say, I am quite proud of myself.

I enjoyed endured a 4 mile run on the treadmill. Before I started, I told myself that I am going to set the speed for a 5.0/12 min. mile and I'm not going to mess with it. Why can't I ever just leave the speed alone? I sped up and was dying from the heat in there. At 2 miles I took a walk break and considered quitting there and calling it a day. I decided to stick it out until at least 3 miles, again going way too fast. I wanted to maintain at least 12 minute miles, because I didn't want to have to go any longer than my planned 48 minutes. At 3 miles, I walked again. I again considered what to do. I knew I could finish and I knew I should finish. "Finish what you start," I told myself. So, I did. I ran the last bit to complete my 4 miles, speeding up to about a 10 minute mile to make my 48 minutes.

I also had to either bike or swim after the run. After walking for 5 minutes to cool down from my run, I went to go check out the pool. There was a free lane open, so I changed into my suit and hopped in. I wanted to swim at least 1000 yds. I've really been slacking with the pool time and wanted to get in a good workout. I also like swimming after running, because I feel like my hips get loosened up and I can get a good stretch in afterwards.

Of course, I'm glad I went. I was tired and almost went home, telling myself I would just go run outside. I knew that wouldn't happen, and I also knew I had to get in two workouts today, because of my busy schedule later on this week.

I was starving when I got home, despite eating two cookies and an apple afterwards. I chowed down on two huge plates of Stir Fry.

Sunday, March 24, 2013

I hate throwing food away, so I try to cook up anything I have left on the weekend before the food goes bad. It is usually fruit and vegetables that are on the brink of spoiling. I had a lemon and orange that were in desperate need of saving. I also had a tiny bit of milk, tons of peppers, and carrots.

I decided to make a lemon loaf and a huge stir fry with an orange sauce using Nectresse as a sweetener instead of sugar. I haven't tried it in actual food since receiving it from Influenster.

Preheat the oven to 325. Melt shortening and combine with the sugar, mixing thoroughly. Mix in the lemon juice and the applesauce until combined well. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until blended. Add the milk last. The mixture is a bit stiff. Empty into a greased loaf pan. Cook for 60 minutes or until a toothpick is clean when inserted (I had mine in for 70 min). Poke holes all around the bread and over the top. Mix together the rest of the lemon juice and sugar. Pour over the top and enjoy!

Quick, Delicious Rice

2c. rice
4 vegetable bouillon cubes
5c. water.

Put all of the ingredients into the rice cooker and set to cook. The rice should be finished when switch flips to keep warm. If not, add more water and set rice cooker back to cook. Keep doing this until rice is to desired texture.

Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add the EVOO and onion. Cook onion until transparent. Add the carrots and peppers first. Cover and cook for about ten minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables. Cover and cook for about ten more minutes or until tender.
While the vegetables are cooking, mix together the sauce ingredients. I used the juice from one orange and squeezed it into a 1c. measuring cup. Then, I filled the rest with water. Dump it into a small bowl and add the other ingredients (Lite soy sauce, ground ginger, Nectresse, corn starch). Mix until blended together. Pour sauce over vegetables. Raise heat to high to allow sauce to boil. Lower heat and simmer about 10-15 minutes, stirring vegetables in order to coat them in the sauce mixture. The sauce will thicken. Serve over rice.

It is the best stir fry I ever made! I really like this sauce. Kevin even liked it. Of course, I didn't tell him it had orange juice in it. He is like my cat and has a strong aversion to oranges.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

I am totally obsessed with the song Carry On by Fun. I even downloaded it from iTunes, which I rarely do. I think it is going to be an awesome song to finish races to. It's very uplifting.

If you haven't heard it yet, check it out.

I got my new running shoes today. I have been stalking FedEx with my tracking number all week. They came at about 9 this morning! I was so excited, because that meant I could wear them on my run today. I mean, what could be a better idea than wearing a new pair and style of shoes on a 7 mile run? What could possibly go wrong?

I walked around in them a bit and they felt fine. I really have never had trouble with new shoes as far as blisters or rubbing go, so I figured I'd be fine. I left to meet Becky and as soon as we started running, the shoes felt WEIRD! I had to make sure I was running on the inside of my foot. The first couple of miles my calves and shins felt tight when we would stop. Halfway through, we stopped and my knees were killing me! I was like, "I'm an idiot! What am I supposed to do?" But, it went away when we started running and I didn't have any more pain the rest of the run. Overall, I really like the shoes and can't wait to use them again! They are the Brooks Pure Connect 2.

View halfway through of Lake Michigan.

We took it easy on the run. There was no reason to go fast and neither of us had really ran much during the week. The wind was against us all but the last mile and a half.

Spring temperatures are just around the corner! I can't wait!

I'm going to spend the rest of the day updating my workout playlist. There are so many great new songs out!

Monday, March 18, 2013

This entitles me to be eligible to receive what they call Vox Boxes. They are boxes of products that people sample and then write reviews on, giving their honest opinion. I was lucky enough to be chosen for a box. I was SO excited. I love free stuff.

So, I am going to review the products they sent me. The products were free to me, but the opinions are my own.
Eggy was just as excited as I was when the package arrived.

I used to use Sweet n Low in my coffee, but I knew how bad it was. So, I switched to straight sugar. I was interested to see how Nectresse tasted, since it's made by Splenda. It is described as being "primarily from monk fruit with other natural sweeteners."

I tried it first in my coffee. I figured if it was awful, the coffee would cushion the blow a bit.

It tasted like regular sugar, but it has a bit of a sweet after taste. Sweeter than sugar would be, but not like other artificial sweeteners I've used. I would say it has a more natural flavor.

There was a booklet about Nectresse and some different recipes to try it out on. I wanted to check it out, so I made a recipe for cinnamon hot chocolate. It was quick and easy.

Stir all ingredients together until chocolate chips melt. Pour into two mugs and serve warm.
*I reheated the mugs after they were all stirred together to melt the chocolate chips more. I think this would turn out better if made on the stove, but then it wouldn't have the convenience of the microwave.

Overall, I like the Nectresse. It has zero calories and I really can't tell the difference between that and sugar. I wouldn't use it in baking items such as cookies or cakes, etc. I will continue to use it in my tea and coffee and I will probably make this hot chocolate recipe again. I thought it was pretty good.

Another food item I was given to review was the belVita breakfast biscuits. They come four to one pack and that is considered a serving. I had the flavor cinnamon brown sugar. There's only 230 calories in it. It was very filling. I think the four individual cookie biscuits gives the illusion that you are eating more. I could eat the biscuit and a piece of fruit for breakfast and be full until lunch. It's also a great snack to munch on the whole day. I would feel full, know how many calories I'm eating, and feel satisfied and not deprived.

The first bite I took, reminded me of the windmill almond cookies that my grandparents had when I was a kid, but better. They were crisp, but melted in my mouth. I ate one and was going to save the others, but I came back a few minutes later and finished them off.

The other products I will have to use a while to see how I like them. I am interested to see if the Colgate Optic White regimen works since I am an avid coffee drinker.

I opened all weekend at work and committed to run with Becky Sunday after work. I know I wouldn't have gone otherwise. We only had to do 5 miles, but it has been a long, long time since I've gone that far.

It was St. Patrick's Day, so of course I had to wear my favorite color, GREEN!

And, yes, I wore my hair down. Long hair, don't care.

I really didn't dress as warm as I should have. I knew it was only 30 out, but for some reason I thought it was warmer. I have my mind set on Spring.

The run was a good one. It was windy most of the way, but I felt good. Maybe it was from the cup of black tea I drank before I left. It must have given me an extra kick after being up since 4 a.m.

I didn't look at my watch except to see how far we were, so I had no idea we had been going at that pace. I mean, maybe Becky mentioned that we were going a little fast, but besides that...lol. I'm happy with the splits and it felt good to go out for longer than 3 miles for once.

After I took a scalding hot shower and drank some hot tea, I realized that I was exhausted. So, like any responsible adult, I had guacamole and tortilla chips for supper and went straight to bed.

On another note, Becky has me drinking classy coffee now. I can tell the difference. I only need one cup of the fancy stuff as opposed to a whole pot of the cheap stuff. Here's my new favorite.

I got it from Target. I like their Archer Farms brand of pretty much everything. They make a salsa that I practically eat by the jar.

As I was shopping today, I came across this Chardonnay.

I don't like Chardonnay and I didn't see this brand in any other types of wine. I totally would have bought it. I'm the middle sister of two brothers and I am a definite smarty pants.

Sunday, March 10, 2013

I had my alarm set for 5:30 a.m. so I could get up and go to 7 a.m. spin class. Yeah, didn't happen. Sleep always wins over exercise. I even went to bed at about 10, because it was daylight savings i.e. worst day of the year.

I knew I wanted to get some kind of activity in today. I decided that my punishment for skipping spin would be to sit on the stationary bike for an hour. I did it in the cardio cinema and watched the last hour of True Grit. My butt was totally asleep by the end and I was glad to see that my legs were sore when I got up.

I wanted to go swim too, but when I peeked in the pool there were a bunch of kids swimming with their parents. I will try again tomorrow after spin class.

I was super bored today. The weather has been dreary and it's been raining almost all day. So, I decided to bake to cheer myself up. You remember that I have a dangerous amount of bananas? Well, the baggies next to the bananas are filled with shredded zucchini. So, I spent a very long time searching for recipes involving bananas, zucchini, and crushed pineapple, since I also have a can of that. Here what I came up with.

Preheat oven to 350. Mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl mash the bananas and add the sugar, oil, water, and vanilla. Mix until combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet little by little. Combine them until just wet. Be careful not to over mix. Pour the mix into a greased 9x9 pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes (I had to keep mine in for 60). Nutrition Info: 10 servings (can easily make pieces smaller), cals: 260, Fat: 6, Carbs: 50, Fiber: 2, Protein, 3

Last bread I made today is a Zucchini, Pineapple, Banana Bread.
I couldn't find a recipe that suited me, so I just threw together some stuff based on the recipes I've seen and just guestimated the amounts that would work together. This recipe makes two bread pans.

Preheat oven to 350. Mash the bananas first in a large mixing bowl. Then add the oil, vanilla, sugar, zucchini, and pineapple and mix until blended together. In a separate mixing bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and blend together until combined. Add half the mix to a greased bread pan and the other half to another greased bread pan. Bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the middle clean.Nutrition Info: 24 servings, Cals: 161, Fat 5, Carbs: 28, Fiber: 1.3, Protein: 2

Notes
*I mixed all of the breads with a wooden spoon. An electric hand mixer would probably over mix the batter.
*I now am down to 4 bananas in my freezer.
*The last bread that I made up the recipe for ended up being my favorite.

Saturday, March 9, 2013

I woke up this morning at 7 a.m. and got up right away to make my coffee. I had to fight Eggy for it.

I kept looking outside to check the weather, because we were supposed to get some rain today. It held off and was in the mid 30's and windy. I was worried I would be cold. I wore some running tights, knee high St. Patrick's day socks, a long sleeve tech shirt, a short sleeve tech shirt over it, and my running skirt. I brought an extra long sleeve shirt and wore my jacket until we got to the race.

I also had a green bow and green ribbon-rubber band with a shamrock on it.

Becky drove. We got there at 11 a.m. and the race started at 11:30. We used the bathroom and picked up our race packets. We brought the stuff to the car and grabbed our watches and ipods. We walked up just in time. They were singing the national anthem already!

The start was fun since it is all downhill. I looked at my watch once and I was under a 10:00 min/mile pace which is super fast for me, especially at the start of a race! Becky is good at keeping a steady pace and we stuck together for the first couple of miles.

At 2.5 miles I started getting a sharp pain in my side. I didn't know if I didn't drink enough or drank too much, but OUCH! I considered stopping to walk, but tried to tough it out. Becky had moved ahead of me by now. I was just focusing on my breathing and trying to stay focused. I was almost finished and told myself if I walked, I would regret it afterwards.

The pain went away after what seemed like an eternity, but was probably not even five minutes. It was just in time to climb up the hill for the last .1 miles. This hill gets me every time! I got passed by a guy pushing a stroller who yelled out, "It's just a hill!" It was enough to push me a bit faster to the finish line.

After I crossed, I really felt like I was going to throw up. I couldn't talk and just kept on walking to lower my heart rate. I grabbed two cups of water, but it was too cold to drink. My throat and chest hurt and I really wanted something warm.

After the feeling of nausea passed, I sipped some of the water. Becky and I walked up to the building with the post race snacks. I got some nice, room temperature water, an apple, half an orange, and half a banana. I also got a headband that covers my ears up with a bank logo on it. It came in handy, since it was really windy out and my clothes were sweaty.

I PR'd the race with a 34:32. The official race times haven't been posted, but I'm just using my Garmin time. It's my official 5k PR time. I have an unofficial time of 33: 52 from some training run I did outside. There's always next year!

Here's my splits!

It was a great race and I know I pushed myself as hard as I could - hence the feeling of throwing up at the end. I can't wait until next year to celebrate my Runniversary!

Friday, March 8, 2013

Four years ago, I completed my first 5k. I trained using the C25K and was so nervous! It was really tough and took almost an hour, but I finished! Now, my Runniversary is upon me again and I'm headed to Wauwatosa to run the Blarney Run. It may seem silly to drive an hour to run 3.1 miles, but it's a very important race to me. It's where my love of running began and led me to my other 5k's, 10k's, half marathons, and sprint triathlons. And now, I will start training for my first marathon! I never would have thought that I could or even would come this far, but it just shows that if you believe in yourself and don't give up, anything is possible!

Why do I run? I have been asked this SO many times!

It's too easy to point out all of my flaws and short comings. It would be easy for me to say, "I should be faster, thinner, better, more dedicated, etc." I have said all of these things to myself. I've been injured, taken a hiatus, wondered what the point to all of this is, but in the end, I have to realize I am doing it to make myself happy. I feel cleansed after a run. I can leave my problems and worries at home for an hour and totally detach from the world. That is what keeps me coming back.

Here's some pictures from races past. I wish I had some from every race!

Mt. Pleasant 5k April 2010 with my younger brother who did the half marathon.

Pleasant Prairie Triathlon June 2010

First Half with Laura Haunted Hustle 10/30/10

Run Into the New Year 10k 12/31/10 Day after my 30th bday

Blarney 5K 2011

Medals

Race Bibs

Pink is Irongirl 2010, green is Irongirl 2011

Run Into Spring 2012 in Chicago

WI Half Marathon 2012

Brewer Mini Marathon 9/22/12

Skeleton Skamper Half 2012

It's great to look back and see how far I've come. I never thought I could be someone who runs, but I kept on going out and doing it, striving to get better. I look forward to another great year of running!

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About Me

I've been trying to lose weight my whole life and finally started running and doing triathlons to motivate my workouts. It's been a slow progress since I love to eat. I decided to blog my food, workouts, and general life in order to help keep myself in check.
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email me at brigm001@gmail.com